Boko Haram: Army kills 6, rescues 5,000 hostages

THE Nigerian Army, yesterday, said its soldiers and mem­bers of the vigilante, Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) have killed six members of Boko Haram and rescued about 5,000 people from the terrorists.

Army spokesperson, Col. Sani Usman, who disclosed this, also said a member of the Civilian JTF was killed on Saturday during the battles with the insurgents.

Usman, in his statement, also said weapons, ammunition and transport equipment, like motorcycles, were recovered from the raided camps around Mafa, a local government headquarter, about 40km from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

He said a policeman, a soldier and member of the Civil­ian JTF, who sustained injuries during the battle, have been moved to the Maiduguri hospital. The body of the dead vigilante has also been moved to the Maiduguri hospital, he said.

The army has, in the past year, reclaimed most of the ter­ritories initially occupied by the insurgents whose activities have caused the death of over 20,000 people since 2009.

“Troops of 21 Brigade and Civilian JTF, yesterday, con­ducted a fighting patrol to Zangebe, Maiwa, Algaiti and Mainari villages in which they killed six Boko Haram ter­rorists and wounded several others. The troops also liber­ated over 5,000 persons held hostages by Boko Haram ter­rorists and recovered 5 motorcycles and similar number of bicycles.”